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wonders of nature Scottish Seabird Centre Members’ magazine
Dangers of life on the open waves:
Call of the Sea 22 32
Framing the view For the love of ...
Scottish Seabird Centre and the environment Sustainability and the environment are at the heart of everything we do. We have produced this magazine in an environmentally-friendly way. However, to help further and to reduce costs, you can receive your magazine by email – just contact membership@seabird.org or call +44(0)1620 890202. Also, sign up to our enewsletters to be kept up-to-date with our latest news.
News
05 News from around the Centre
Features
10 Nature Photography Awards 12 Puffin’tastic success 16 The making of SOS Puffin 18 North Berwick uncovered 20 Every good tern 22 Framing the view 32 For the love of ... 34 Urdles of nurdles 36 Bone of ‘Scotland’s dodo’ unearthed 38 Our friends at the SOC 40 No place like home 42 Call of the Sea
Regulars
24 Gift shop 26 Seabird Café 28 Volunteers 30 Boats 44 What’s on 46 Kids
Visit us
Find us
February, March, September and October Monday – Friday 10:00 –17:00 Saturday & Sunday 10:00 –17:30 April – August Monday – Sunday 10:00 –18:00 November – January Monday – Friday 10:00 –16:00 Saturday & Sunday 10:00 –17:00
Scottish Seabird Centre, The Harbour, North Berwick, EH39 4SS W: www.seabird.org E: info@seabird.org T: +44(0)1620 890202
Design: Various / www.various.uk.com
03
Welcome from Tom Autumn is a superb time at the Seabird Centre as we look forward to welcoming the winter waders and keeping our eyes peeled for seal pups being born live on camera. It really is our own version of One Born Every Minute.
Entries for the Nature Photography Awards have been streaming in and you still have a week or so to submit your entries. I would encourage everyone to explore the wonderful natural world around them and capture it on camera. We have a brand new exhibition – Call of the Sea – which explores the development of fishing in North Berwick, the history of the harbour and highlights the realities of life at sea. There’s also the chance to meet Cap’n Salty Sea Dog who will lead tours and storytelling sessions throughout the Discovery Centre. Not to be missed! Don’t forget the Members’ Shopping Evening on Thursday 20 November and our Volunteers’ Coffee Morning on Saturday 6 December. Thank you for your continued and valuable support.
Tom Brock OBE Chief Executive
Update from Laura I love this time of year at the Seabird Centre: there is something really special about seal season. There aren’t many places in the world that you can see seal pups being born live on camera – a wonderful wildlife spectacle that can happen in a flash! It’s also lovely to see the seal pups born last year coming back up onto the rocky beach on the Isle of May.
Over the summer it has been really entertaining to see so many people engaging with our popular new sculpture, The Watcher. Every week there are #selfies on twitter – it’s fantastic to see so many people interacting with our new Seabird team member. If you have any pics of yourself with The Watcher I would love to see them – share them on our Facebook or twitter page, or email me direct: marketing@seabird.org
Scottish Seabird Centre magazine
Hope to see lots of you for Pirate Weekend, on 11 and 12 October – going to be a cracker!
Laura Adamson Magazine Editor and Marketing Manager
04 Special thanks The Scottish Seabird Centre is an independent charity dedicated to inspiring people to appreciate and care for wildlife and the natural environment. Registered Scottish charity no. SC025837. Registered in Scotland no. 172288.
Special thanks and editorial contributions
Our work would not be possible without support and funding from organisations, trusts and other donors, statutory and private. In this edition of the magazine we would like to say a special thanks to the following:
The John S. Cohen, Yorkshire and Clydesdale Bank and Inchcape Foundations, the Treasure, Tay, Mary Andrew, Gamma, Russell, Whitley Animal Protection and Sylvia Aitken Charitable Trusts, for their support of Professor Egghead.
East Lothian Council, the Christina Rutherford legacy, Mrs. Agnes Halliwelll, the Enterprise Foundation and the HB Allen and Geraldine Kirkpatrick Charitable Trusts for core support. Scottish Natural Heritage, The Robertson and Sir John Miller Edinburgh Trusts, the Hugh Fraser, Cruden, Garfield Weston and Ellem Foundations for continued and generous support of our important education work. Creative Scotland for support of the external sculptures comprising The Gateway Project. East Lothian Council, Scottish Enterprise, Awards for All and Mr and Mrs Alan Duttine for support of Puffin Fest.
The Spear Charitable Trust and the Slater Foundation for support of the tidal tank project. The Plymouth Aquarium, Slater and Shirley Pugh Foundations, the Cruach, Michael Marks, Horace Gilman, William Dean and Hamamelis Trusts, St. Mary’s Charity and the Wood Bequest Fund for their support of the Wildlife Club and Seaside School. The Naturesave and Alan Evans Memorial Trust for support of SOS Puffin. Photography credits Images bring our magazine to life! We would like to say thanks to the following photographers: Bob Humphries / Chris Watt / Greg Macvean / Laura Adamson / Lisa Hooper / Maggie Sheddan / Malcolm McCurrach / Rob McDougall / Sean Bell / Tony Marsh.
Scottish Seabird Centre magazine
Editorial contributions Maude Rivard-Haustrate is from Canada and she moved to Edinburgh five years ago. During her time in Scotland, she discovered the beauty of this country and it was the perfect setting for her first wildlife documentary. She is now working for a Surrey charity called The Wildlife Aid Foundation. She films the daily work to save British wildlife at the hospital or is out in the great outdoors rescuing animals in distress. David Pickett is the Reserve Manager for the Isle of May National Nature Reserve. He has worked on nature reserves of many different types across the country and abroad but the Isle of May is probably the best of them. As the Reserve Manager he is responsible for managing the visitors that come to the island and the running of the field station while also carrying out some of the seabird and migration monitoring. This means that though he isn’t an expert at anything he knows a little bit about quite a lot of aspects of the island.
05 News If you’d like us to cover a particular story just send your suggestion to Laura at marketing@seabird.org
In late March, we welcomed a new addition to the Seabird team: The Watcher. Created by the acclaimed Scottish artist Kenny Hunter, best known for his Citizen Firefighter sculpture on the pavement outside Glasgow’s Central Station, The Watcher was commissioned following an open competition for artists in 2011 to create innovative and stunning new works of art to act as gateways to the Seabird Centre.
News from around the Centre Have you met:
The Watcher?
Following 30 original artist submissions, a public exhibition and vote, two winning commissions were selected. Fellow Scottish artist Diane McLean was the first to have her winning sculpture erected, with her gannet archway installed in December 2013. The Watcher is a life-sized figure cast in bronze at the foundry at Powderhall Bronze, Edinburgh. The male figure is adult, contemporary and dressed in outdoor wear, typical of a bird watcher or naturalist. Along with his binoculars he carries a camera bag and wears stout boots and, like many people at the Centre, his gaze is directed northeast toward the world-famous Bass Rock. What a wonderful place to spend your days! Scottish Seabird Centre magazine
06 News
Environmental news
Bags of commitment At the end of June, Zero Waste Scotland launched the Carrier Bag Commitment for Scottish retailers at the Seabird Centre, ahead of the introduction of carrier bag charging from 20 October 2014.
New legislation passed by the Scottish Government will require all retailers to charge a minimum of 5p for every single-use carrier bag from this date. The Carrier Bag Commitment will recognise businesses who donate the proceeds from the bag charge to good causes, and all retailers are being urged to sign-up, free of charge.
At the national launch we became the first charity to sign-up to the commitment, which means that money raised from bags will allow us to further invest in our work as an environmental education and conservation charity. The Scottish Grocers Federation also became the first major retail body to sign-up to the Carrier Bag Commitment.
Tom Brock:
Tom Brock said: “The charge for bags is very welcome: single-use carrier bags and the litter they cause harm our wonderful wildlife and Scotland’s outstanding natural environment. This charge will hopefully encourage more people to recycle and re-use wherever possible. It is a great win / win. It will help wildlife, the environment, businesses, Scotland’s tourism industry and can support the important work of environmental charities.”
This charge will hopefully encourage more people to recycle and re-use wherever possible. We would be delighted to hear from any retailers who would like to donate their bag charges to support the work of the Seabird Centre.
Scottish Seabird Centre magazine
07 News
Marine Protected Areas Working with other environmental charities, the Seabird Centre has, for a long time, been lobbying hard for better protection of Scotland’s outstanding marine environment and wildlife. In July, the Scottish Government announced the creation of 30 Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). Tom Brock said: “These areas are of international importance and this announcement by the Scottish Government is extremely welcome.
Over 165,000 pairs of seabirds nest on the Forth islands.
“This will help to safeguard our marine wildlife, including seabirds, for future generations. We are delighted that one of the MPAs will be the Firth of Forth Banks Complex. This is a very important feeding area for our local seabirds (over 165,000 pairs of seabirds nest on the Forth islands). Better protection will also help marine mammals including dolphins and whales. “These announcements are important steps in ensuring effective protection and conservation of Scotland’s rich diversity of marine plants and animals. The Seabird Centre will continue to campaign, lobby and work in partnership with all relevant parties to help safeguard Scotland’s amazing marine wildlife and habitats.”
Better protection will also help marine mammals including dolphins and whales. Scottish Seabird Centre magazine
08 News
Fundraising news
Currency appeal! Our Fundraising Manager, Charlie Marshall, has discovered a novel way of raising funds.
Many people have some foreign currency and old UK or Irish coins. It sits in pots and drawers and is unlikely to be used again, especially if it is from countries where the currency has changed to the Euro. We have launched an appeal for all worldwide current currency in notes or coins and any of the older currency such as the German Marks, Spanish Pesetas, old UK shillings and old UK pre-decimal coins. Old half or full crowns and silver or brass coloured thrupennies can also help. You can even donate old farthings, pennies or ha’pennies. The coins and small notes cannot be exchanged in the UK and old Spanish Pesetas cannot be spent in Spain so they are of little value to anyone. Please bring your unusable currency to the Centre and we can exchange this for a valuable donation.
Educational support We received a terrific boost to Education as the Ellem Foundation generously donated a three-year support package of £10,000 per year. This is enormously important to the Seabird Centre, as it means we can plan ahead in the certain knowledge that the project is sufficiently funded.
The Ellem Foundation is a Scottish, family-based trust and one of their main interests is education. Spirit of the Community Awards We were delighted that the Yorkshire and Clydesdale Bank Foundation honoured us with its Spirit of the Community Award, Education category. We applied for this award under the guise of our long-running and highly successful Professor Egghead science education initiative.
The awards were held at the Bank’s headquarters in June and we received a very handsome trophy and a very welcome cheque for £5,000 to support the Centre’s work. This recognition by the Foundation is a significant achievement, not only of the initiative but also of all those members of the team who work so hard to deliver the shows.
Irene Swankie Community Affairs Manager at Clydesdale Bank:
The knowledge and enthusiasm of the Seabird Centre staff was inspirational.
Scottish Seabird Centre magazine
09 News
People news
Goodbye to Jenny At the end of the summer term we said a very fond farewell to our award-winning Education Officer, and frequent Professor Egghead, Jenny McAllister. After five years at the Seabird Centre, Jenny has hung up her lab coat and waterproofs to take on a new role managing a nursery in Portobello. We wish Jenny all the very best in her new adventure.
Well done to John! Congratulations to our one of our Trustees, John Hunt, who has been shortlisted in the RSPB Nature of Scotland Awards, in the Outstanding Contribution category for the amazing work he has done over the years in leading the successful SOS Puffin project. John said: “Puffins are wonderful seabirds and with over 55,000 nesting pairs in the Firth of Forth it is vital that we do all we can to ensure puffin populations thrive and increase. SOS Puffin is a very rewarding project and to have all our hard work recognised by the judging panel is fantastic.”
I’m delighted to have been shortlisted for this award.
Welcome to Caroline Caroline Vevers is our new Events and Education Officer. With lots of fantastic events experience with organisations including the Scottish Wildlife Trust and the Edinburgh Marathon, Caroline has a fresh enthusiasm and lots of creative ideas.
A North Berwick resident, she has lived all over the world: “I started life in North Berwick but when I was five we moved to Tasmania. We stayed there two years before heading to Los Angeles then back to Scotland. We moved round a lot so that by the time I was 18 I’d lived in 21 houses and been to 11 different schools.” Now happy and settled in North Berwick, Caroline is a very welcome addition to the Seabird team.
New friends Maggie Sheddan met with a fascinating visitor this summer: “Kenickie Andrews is from the Ascension Island Government Conservation team and is visiting Britain. We met just after 04:00 and in the most stunning sunrise we headed out to Dunbar. He helped researchers monitor and study birds on the Bass Rock, then visited the Discovery Centre.
Scottish Seabird Centre magazine
“It was wonderful to hear about the masked booby behaviour and we swopped notes on breeding habits. They have the largest sooty tern colony and green backed turtle colony that takes a huge amount of conservation and care.” In the next edition meet Penny, our new Finance Officer.
10 Feature Don’t miss your chance to enter this year’s awards – closing date 19 October.
Check out the website for some fantastic top tips from Lorne. Good luck everyone!
Time is ticking:
Capture nature on camera Now in their ninth year, our prestigious Nature Photography Awards are back. After record levels of entries last year and a streamlined entry process this year, we are looking forward to another high quality year.
Our expert panel of judges are back: Lorne Gill, the award-winning official photographer at Scottish Natural Heritage; outstanding freelance photographer Graham Riddell; and Scottish Field editor Richard Bath. This year, for each of the categories, there will be a winner selected by the judges and a winner selected by the voting public.
The categories:
The timeline:
Creative Visions of Nature Environmental Impact Landscape Scottish Wildlife World Flora Worldwide Wildlife Juniors (under 12) Juniors (12–16)
Deadline for entries Sunday 19 October 2014
Scottish Seabird Centre magazine
Shortlist exhibition opens and public invited to vote Friday 21 November 2014
Voting closes Sunday 22 February 2015 Award ceremony at the Scottish Seabird Centre Thursday 26 February 2015
Winners’ exhibition opens to the public Friday 27 February 2015 Submissions invited for the tenth annual awards April 2015
Puffins, puffins and more puffins:
It was a puffin’tastic ten days of entertainment!
13 Feature Our first ever Puffin Fest was a great success! Here’s a round-up of all the fun and games.
Tom Brock:
A special thanks to wildlife cameraman, Gordon Buchanan, for launching the festival.
Scotland’s first ever festival of puffins has been declared a great success as 12,400 puffin fans visited the Seabird Centre between 16 and 26 May.
Puffin Fest featured a jam-packed programme of puffin-inspired and environmentally-friendly activities for people of all ages, and the festival was officially opened by wildlife filmmaker and cameraman, Gordon Buchanan, on 16 May. Programme highlights included How to speak puffin with puffin expert Dr Kenny Taylor; How to draw a puffin with artist Mandy Thomson; wildlife photography workshops with GJ Wildlife; Puffin Parties with Forth 1; the premier of a documentary film about SOS Puffin made by Maude Rivard-Haustrate; Puffin Express boat trips; shows with Professor Egghead; plus a special talk by Cathy Sexton all about The Great Nurdle Hunt. Tom Brock said: “We launched Puffin Fest to celebrate the annual return of these wonderful birds. We wanted to inspire both locals and visitors to learn more about our much-loved puffins while also highlighting the importance of conserving and protecting our seabirds for future generations.
“We would like to say a huge thanks to everyone who contributed to making Puffin Fest a success and we hope that this will pave the way for many more puffin festivals in the future, if funding can be secured, cementing North Berwick’s place as one of the best places to see Scotland’s most popular seabird.” Edward Danks, from the North Berwick Business Association, adds: “There was a really nice buzz in the town during Puffin Fest and it was fantastic to see puffin displays in some of the shops and families getting involved with the puffin passport. It would certainly be good to build on this in the future, as it’s brilliant to see the town working together for everyone’s benefit.” We are delighted to confirm that Puffin Fest 2015 will run from 15 to 25 May. We hope to see you there! If you have any ideas for next year’s programme please email events@seabird.org or call 01620 890202.
“Hopefully our programme of events has spread this message and everyone has had lots of fun meeting all the experts, artists, photographers, Seabird Centre staff and volunteers who featured in the programme.
Note:
Puffin Fest 2015 will run from 15 to 25 May. Scottish Seabird Centre magazine
Puffin Fest:
A celebration of the annual return of Scotland’s favourite seabird.
Tom Brock said:
We wanted to inspire both locals and visitors to learn more about our much-loved puffins while also highlighting the importance of conserving and protecting our seabirds for future generations.
16 Feature Documentary filmmaker, Maude Rivard-Haustrate, premiered her short film about the amazing work undertaken by the SOS Puffin team during Puffin Fest.
Between February and September 2012, I went to the islands of Craigleith and Fidra nine times to gather footage for the SOS Puffin documentary. In total, I must have walked at least 10 miles with my bulky (but trusty!) Sony HDV camera on my shoulder.
Most of the time, I was following volunteers who were cutting down the tree mallow that was invading the puffins’ burrows. The film, after all, was about them and their incredible effort to save one of the most iconic seabirds nesting on these islands. On one occasion, however, another group of visitors stole the show. The puffins had arrived on Craigleith and as soon as I stepped on the island, I was surrounded by these little birds. The clowns of the sea were preparing their burrows for the soon-to-be-laid eggs. I knew it would probably be my only chance to film them, so I tried to make the most of it. After staying silent and immobile for a while, I was able to get closer and closer to them, and soon enough these fascinating characters became my favourite birds.
Although they might not all feature in the SOS Puffin documentary, I was also thrilled to discover the other animals inhabiting the islands: peregrine falcons nesting on Fidra; fulmars; razorbills; gulls; cormorants; geese and seals to name a few, and of course the elusive rabbits of Craigleith! I cannot really complain about the weather during the work parties I joined, as most of the time I was greeted with sunshine. Except for one trip in August on the island of Fidra… it started to rain so heavily that it became impossible to film. The only reasonable thing to do was to put my kit away and join the dedicated group of volunteers in cutting the tree mallow. When the sun finally showed up, I was able to film a few shots of soaking wet, but always smiling, volunteers. Lots of great memories, which I’m very excited to share with the public, as they can now see SOS Puffin in the Scottish Seabird Centre’s Wildlife Theatre! For more information on Maude visit www.mauderivard.com
These fascinating characters became my favourite birds. Scottish Seabird Centre magazine
The making of SOS Puffin
An alien plant, tree mallow, blocks the puffin burrows.
18 Feature North Berwick High School pupil, Lindsay Hart, takes us on a whistle-stop tour of North Berwick and delves into some mustvisit destinations.
Tired of soulless shopping malls? Want to escape the bustling, city centre? As autumn arrives, rediscover the quaint charms that await in North Berwick. Why not make time not only for a visit to the Seabird Centre but also to explore the abundance of unique, individual shops on the town’s inviting streets?
With the season changing and our wardrobe in need of replenishing, the perfect place to begin your shopping spree is Great Escape, where you will find trend-setting fashion with a purpose. The shop stocks a wide variety of casual, outdoor clothing from top designers including Superdry, Whitestuff and Vans. No need to despair about the summer season ending as, along with wetsuits and surfboards, the shop also provides snowboarding gear. The town is also home to whynot?, a creative and exciting business venture where customers can buy local produce never before seen on the high street. More than just a mini shopping centre or indoor market, it is a treasure trove of unique products and items such as fresh fish and artisan bread.
Seeking the latest innovative gadget for your kitchen? Then look no further than etc… which stocks the highest quality and most vibrant coloured products on the market. Whether as a gift or an edition to your cupboards, the shop will have exactly what you are looking for. After taking in East Lothian’s most captivating and breathtaking views you may be inspired to browse Fidra Fine Art which displays traditional and contemporary Scottish paintings from the past 200 years, with many featuring the county’s beautiful landscape. The welcoming drawing room setting and gallery lighting allows the work to be experienced at its finest. Open at weekends from 12:00 to 17:00, but also by appointment outwith these hours, for your own personal private view. With every shopping need taken care of, North Berwick continues to charm locals and visitors alike, across the generations. With exciting, new businesses opening and established traders flourishing, the future of North Berwick looks bright. For more information and insider knowledge visit www.north-berwick.co.uk
Escape the bustling city centre shops and rediscover some amazing local offerings. Scottish Seabird Centre magazine
Local matters:
North Berwick uncovered
Scottish Seabird Centre magazine
Every good tern
21 Feature Our friend, PR-guru and wildlife expert, Keith Broomfield, takes us on a journey with Seabird favourite, the tern.
As a boy growing up in Edinburgh I used to enjoy visiting Granton Pier in the spring and summer and watch terns fishing in the shallow waters of Wardie Bay in the Firth of Forth. The common and Arctic terns in particular were incredibly elegant with their slender bodies and streamers on their tails, making it easy to see why they are often termed as ‘sea-swallows’.
These graceful terns would have a characteristic slow flight when fishing, the head continually looking downwards, sometimes pausing in the air for a brief hover, before plummeting down into the sea and emerging with a silvery sprat or other small fish in their scarlet dagger-like bills. They were noisy birds too, their harsh screeches filling the sea air. It was magical stuff. It was the Arctic terns that particularly fascinated me because of the huge distances that these birds travel in the course of their lifetimes. It seemed almost unbelievable that the birds that I was now watching may only a few months previously have been foraging around the pack ice of Antarctica; in effect almost perpetual migrants that only stop for a few months to breed, but otherwise continually following summer whether it
be in the Northern or Southern Hemisphere.
decades ago they were more frequent.
Later, when I moved to Aberdeenshire, it was the larger and more heavily built sandwich tern that I became better acquainted with at the Sands of Forvie National Nature Reserve north of Aberdeen. There was a large breeding colony here and the raucous cacophony of excited screaming and screeching from the nesting birds was almost overwhelming.
According to Sarah Davis, seabird conservation scientist for the RSPB, terns are particularly vulnerable during the breeding season. Terns like to nest in colonies, often on mainland sand and shingle beaches or near-shore islets, making them incredibly susceptible to predators, especially American mink and foxes.
Our terns are rather fickle and perplexing birds, with well-established colonies that have been present for many years sometimes mysteriously disappearing, whilst in other areas new colonies suddenly materialise. What does seem certain, however, is that most of our breeding species are in decline. The most recent UK figures covering trends for the years 2000 to 2011 suggest a 15% fall in our Arctic tern population, 14% drop for the common tern and 7% decline for sandwich terns. Little terns appear more stable in recent times, although still at lower numbers compared with 25 to 30 years ago. Our other breeding species, the roseate tern, is much rarer altogether with only a handful of birds possibly nesting in Scotland in any year, although two or three Scottish Seabird Centre magazine
In some areas food shortages have been an issue too, especially in the Northern Isles where a lack of sandeels caused by still poorly understood fluxes in the marine ecosystem has affected the breeding success of Arctic terns and other seabirds. The decline of the roseate tern, which once bred regularly on islands in the Firth of Forth, may partly be attributable to trapping on its coastal wintering grounds in Ghana. This beautiful tern now has one of the most restricted ranges of any seabird around the British Isles. Although our terns are rather delicate in appearance, they are quite feisty birds and our most incredible record-breaking migrant.
22 Feature SNH Reserve Manager, Dave Pickett, introduces the new visitor centre at the Isle of May.
Framing the view Visiting the Isle of May is probably one of the best wildlife experiences you can have in Scotland, especially in peak seabird season, and it can be a quite staggering experience when you find yourself in amongst nearly a quarter of a million seabirds.
And for a top tourist destination it was long felt that we needed a building that gave a visitor welcome that matched the experience. The original island visitor centre was a converted wooden shed – though a building of character, it didn’t give the type of visitor experience that we would have liked. Two years ago, after many years of discussion, a plan was drawn up to demolish the old lighthouse coal shed next to Kirkhaven and build a new visitor centre there. The new building needed to give visitors shelter, information about how to get the best out of their visit and also to frame the view it gave of the island.
But easier said than done, there were many challenges to building this structure including: it had to be built on an island six miles out in the North Sea in a way that didn’t affect the mass of wildlife that used the island; it needed to fit in with the landscape and it had to be able to withstand the winter gales. Most of the demolished building was recycled, the crushed concrete walls provided a base for the new building, the granite sett floor was re-laid in the new building and only the iron beams were taken off the island for scrap. The final design was a timber kit structure that was put together on the mainland then taken down, transported in kit form by barge and reconstructed on the island.
Scottish Seabird Centre magazine
Construction had to be carried out in the quiet periods of August to early October and January to early April when there were no seabirds or seals breeding, but this meant transporting and constructing the building during the winter. Things didn’t go smoothly but in the end, only three weeks behind schedule, the building was opened to the public just after Easter. This season it has offered a visitor experience we could never have imagined. This year the island’s Arctic terns really took to the building, nesting within metres all around and even on the roof. Visitors got a really close a view of terns and were offered gripping and compulsive watching of the private lives of these wonderful birds. The terns have now left, but the deck of the new visitor centre is still a wonderful place to stand and take in the wide and ever-changing view of the North Sea, with constantly passing seabird performers. So if you visit the island, be sure to take a bit of time to take a seat for the show.
Visiting the Isle of May is probably one of the best wildlife experiences you can have in Scotland.
24 Gift shop Our Gift Shop Manager, Marion, takes us through a few highlights from the current items available.
Retail therapy:
humorous, natural, historic, prized, quality, genuine.
Christmas Shopping Evening Date for your diary! Don’t miss our members’ only shopping evening on Thursday 20 November. Not only will you get a 15% discount on items (some exclusions apply) but there will be the chance to sample delicious local produce, meet some of our suppliers and enjoy a little tipple or two. Join us from 18:00.
Dinnae Fash! The Couthie, Dinnae Fash range, remains a firm favourite with our shoppers and we have a gorgeous goodie bag worth £45, donated by Couthie, up for grabs.
A Dinnae Fash goody bag makes a great present for anyone with a sense of humour! The goody bag itself is a Dinnae Fash 100% cotton canvas shopper and it contains a beautifully packaged tea towel, apron and (another!) canvas shopper. A lovely ready-towrap pressie for someone with a love of the Scots language. To get your hands on this, simply email info@seabird.org by 30 November 2014 with your name, address and membership number and the title ‘Couthie’. You can also write to us with your details. Good luck!
Competition time:
A Dinnae Fash goody bag makes a great present for anyone with a sense of humour!
Scottish Seabird Centre magazine
Textile and gifting experts Some of the most popular ranges in our Gift Shop come from Glen Appin of Scotland: with strong roots in the textile industry, this quality brand has been providing distinctive items and gifts for nearly 50 years. Glen Appin of Scotland design their own products and arrange their manufacture, supplying retailers all over the world from small village shops to historic castles. They are well-known for their Harris Tweed bags and accessories, and traditional tartan children’s clothing – this year they have introduced a number of new styles and tweeds and also limited edition products. They also offer a whole host of other items such as stoneware, napkins, pet products and the largest selection of Scottish tea towels – which all go down a treat with our customers.
Jewellery inspired by nature Ladycrow pewter brooches and jewellery are designed and cast in Scotland and Cornwall and their new range is proving to be very popular. The team at Ladycrow tell us that: “Pewter was used as long ago as the 11th century when only the wealthy could afford such a highly prized metal. Today pewter is valued for its unique beauty and is used to make jewellery and decorative items.” The range features a starfish, turtle, seahorse and bees (to name but a few). A top tip from the team: “Use a cloth and silver polish to maintain lustre.” Prices from £12.50.
Scottish Seabird Centre magazine
26 Café Christmas with the best view of the Bass Rock.
Turkey, stuffing, roasties, carrots, peas ... and don’t forget the parsnips. We’re open right up to 24 December for Christmas parties large and small.
With autumn seeming to arrive early this year and Christmas heading our way, the Seabird Café team has been planning delicious seasonal dishes to help keep you warm and cosy regardless of the weather.
The view from our café and our outdoor deck, even in the wildest of weathers, can be spectacular and provides a fabulous view for any eating experience. Whether it’s just a coffee and a freshly made scone or a full, three-course Christmas-themed lunch, a warm welcome awaits. From December, we will be offering a festive menu including traditional turkey and all the trimmings. Why not treat yourself to a glass of mulled wine and a mince pie to help get you into the Christmas spirit! Please keep an eye on our menu in the café and on our website for more details.
Whether it’s just a coffee and a freshly made scone or a full, three-course Christmas-themed lunch, a warm welcome awaits. Scottish Seabird Centre magazine
27 Café
Getting into the spirit
Festive treats aplenty at the Seabird Café Members’ Christmas Shopping Evening. Staff and volunteers will be on hand to talk you through the items to taste – including firm favourites and a few you haven’t tasted before! See you on Thursday 20 November.
Scottish Seabird Centre magazine
28 Volunteers Mending, translating, chatting, preparing, selling, assisting – there is no end to the talents of our Volunteers, led by Chairperson, Sandy Forrest.
Since the last members’ magazine the Volunteer Group has continued to work with the Seabird Centre staff to maintain and enhance this award-winning attraction.
One of our main activities is meeting and greeting visitors to the Centre. We do this in many different ways: our main task is chatting to visitors as they enter the Discovery Centre, describing what there is to be seen and showing them the camera screens with the close-ups of seabirds on all the islands. Sometimes we show people how to operate the controls or point out the hidden sea creatures in the aquarium. Often we are able to answer questions as we have listened to the talks given by the staff. A slightly different way of chatting to visitors is as they leave the Discovery Centre, asking them if they have enjoyed the experience and whether they think that experience could have been enhanced in any way – this also gives useful feedback to staff. We also help in the shop, tidying and refilling shelves or just being a presence to answer questions.
Lovely people / great cause: If you are interested in joining our band, contact the Seabird Centre office on office@seabird.org or 01620 890202 with your contact details, and we will be in touch, or speak to any Volunteer next time you are in the Centre. All of these activities are very enjoyable, meeting visitors from all over the world as well as old friends. There is also a chance to brush-up on our languages as visitors come from many European countries as well as those further afield! For those newly moved into the area, it is an excellent way of getting to know people and make new friends. The Volunteers come from many different backgrounds of work which means we have a vast range of experience and interests. This is very useful when requests for assistance come from the Centre staff – we have built lighthouse models, repaired flags, sewn cushions, sold raffle tickets, stuffed envelopes, prepared adoption packs, assisted with the Wildlife Club, attended outside events promoting the Seabird Centre, distributed posters and leaflets, translated information leaflets – the list is endless!
Scottish Seabird Centre magazine
The Volunteers meet over coffee once a fortnight, in the Seabird Café, to discuss events, either those that we organise as fundraisers, or those run by the Centre where extra help is needed. We also meet once a month in the evening for more in-depth discussion and to allow those who are busy during the day to give their points of view on our activities. Our fundraising events are held on average once a month throughout the year, for the purpose of ensuring that special projects planned to enhance visitor enjoyment of the Centre can go ahead. The events vary from Coffee Mornings in the Hope Rooms, to Midsummer Music, Jazz Evenings, jumble sales, talks, auctions and tastings. We try to select events that do not involve too much work and yet are enjoyable for everyone. We are always looking for new ideas. Perhaps you would be interested in joining us and adding your ideas to our list?
Here to help
Fun, friendly and productive.
31 Boats The boat team has been busy this season! Here’s a wee round-up of some of the highlights and plans for next year.
Buoy oh buoy
There have been lots of dolphin sightings this year, which has been fantastic for those out on the Seabird Cruise and Seabird Seafari Bass, as they have been able to get some amazing photos of these beautiful creatures in action.
It has been great for us on terra firma as well as we have enjoyed watching them diving in front of Craigleith from the Seabird Café deck.
For Puffin Fest we launched our first ever Puffin Express – a 30-minute cruise around Craigleith to spot the clowns of the sea. Ideal for families, this express boat trip proved to be a hit and we are planning for it to return in 2015. Did you go on the Puffin Express? If so, we would love to have your feedback. For Fringe by the Sea we offered a very special sailing which, in addition to Craigleith and the Bass Rock, took in the islands of Fidra and the Lamb. This two-hour, four-island cruise was fully-booked and as it was so popular we are looking at hosting more of these special trips in 2015. Is this something you would be interested in? Let us know!
Bass Rock Landings have been as popular as ever and as a special treat for members, we will be announcing the 2015 dates to you before anyone else – so you can secure the dates you want before other Bass Rock fans. All the details will be emailed out, so please let us know if you would like to be added to our enewsletter list. We spent a fantastic day out at sea with photographer, Rob McDougall, who got some stunning new images of the Seabird Cruise. A huge thanks again to all the families on board who were willing ‘models’ for the shoot and we hope everyone enjoyed the day. A special thanks to the Petrie family who are now the stars of our new boat leaflet!
Scottish Seabird Centre magazine
32 Feature For the love of all the things we care about, we’re taking climate change seriously. And we’re not alone.
Staff at the Seabird Centre are supporting the Stop Climate Chaos campaign ‘For the love of…’. Alongside their sister organisations in England and Wales, the Stop Climate Chaos coalition is made up of over 100 organisations with millions of supporters. We may all be passionate about different things, but we’re united in our determination to tackle climate change.
It’s time to stand up, in the name of all the things we love, and demand action! Visit www.stopclimatechaos.org / fortheloveof Here are some of the things we love: Tom Brock Chief Executive: “The ever popular puffin – a huge favourite with our visitors but it has suffered badly from flooded burrows, lack of food, invasive alien plants and late winter storms – all linked to climate change.” Nigel Ward Head of Operations: “There are only a few truly wild places left in the world; in Scotland we are fortunate enough to have some of the best. These areas are under threat and it is very important that they are protected for us, and future generations, to enjoy.”
For the love of ... Laura Adamson Marketing Manager: “I chose art. I loved art when I was at school and was a bit of an art history geek. When I was little I wanted to ‘make adverts’ when I grew up, as I wanted to combine my love of writing and art. In a way I kind of do what I wanted! Now I’m a big fan of Scottish artists, especially landscapes and seascapes. I have even found an Adamson who painted watercolours in the 80s and have a few of their pieces.” Carole Holmson University of Oregon Intern/Discovery Centre team: “I chose exploring new places because visiting a new environment is always exciting and allows me to appreciate the incredible diversity of our world. There is simply no substitute for first-hand experience!” Jill Dryburgh Board and CEO Secretary: “On its own, a tree can be beautiful and graceful, striking and eye-catching, warped and menacing. Walking through a forest, they can be calming and uplifting or threatening and chilling. A tree is many things, but it is never dull.”
Scottish Seabird Centre magazine
Claudia Gehrig Discovery Centre team: “I love puffins because they are really cute. I like how they walk and interact with each other. They are giving us a good indication if something is wrong with the marine environment as they are such a specialised species only eating sandeels and sprats.” Alex Turnbull Discovery Centre team: “I selected South Africa because I spent a month as a research volunteer studying elephants at a game reserve. I saw so many amazing animals during my time there, as well as seeing the joy that it gave my fellow researchers by seeing these animals in the wild. I want others to be able to experience seeing these animals in the same way that I did which will only happen if climate change is reduced.”
From top left: Sarah / Carole / Alastair / Alex / Tom / Caroline / Claudia / Iona / Jill / Kirsty / Kris / Nigel / Maurice / Laura / Megan / Josh / Malcolm / Rachel / Fran / Marion
34 Feature From whales to wellies, syringes to cigarette butts and fishing lines to fridges – they’ve all been found around the Forth. But not many locals realise they are sharing their beach with nurdles.
Not as cute as they sound, nurdles are the raw material for the plastic industry – melted together they form nearly all plastic products. Accidental spills mean billions of these lentil-sized pellets now litter the world’s oceans and worryingly large numbers are washing up on the shores of our estuary. To raise awareness and help end nurdle pollution into the Forth, local residents have launched The Great Nurdle Hunt.
A group of mothers living in and around North Berwick, who frequently took their children to local beaches, began to query what the innocuous looking plastic spheres were that they found littering the sand. Closer inspection and cross checking on the internet identified these peculiar bits of plastic as nurdles. One of the group, Abi Edmondson, was disturbed by the numbers of pellets she found: “I was used to thinking of East Lothian’s beaches as being pristine. Nurdles are small and are often clear-coloured and so they are difficult to spot against the sand, but when I started to look closely I was horrified by the number I found. As a regular beach user I was upset to see so many of these plastic pellets washing ashore on my local beach. I wanted to
Urdles of nurdles For more information visit www.nurdlehunt.org.uk find out more about the extent of the problem and find out if other people shared my concerns.” Subsequently the concerned mums came together with other East Lothian residents to find out more about the numbers of nurdles in the Forth and where they were coming from. With backing from a newly formed local environmental group (Fidra) they have launched The Great Nurdle Hunt to focus on the issue. Cathy Sexton, who is leading The Great Nurdle Hunt, said: “This is a way of finding out the extent of the nurdle problem on beaches around the Forth, and which beaches are most affected by this form of pollution. We really need other residents around the Forth to help us by searching on their favourite beaches. We have set up a website (www.nurdlehunt.org.uk) which explains what to look for and how to do your own nurdle hunt safely. You can use the website to share your findings and check out our interactive map to see what other people have discovered. Nurdle hunting is really addictive, anyone can do it, and you really will be contributing to our collective
Scottish Seabird Centre magazine
efforts to document and reduce nurdle pollution into the Forth.” Nurdles may not sound harmful, but they are. We are particularly worried because the Forth is also recognised as an internationally important home to many seabirds that are known to mistake them for food. If eaten, plastic and the toxins coating them enter the food chain. Sadly post mortems on gulls, fulmars, terns and puffins have found nurdles in their stomachs. The Great Nurdle Hunt is not just highlighting the problem, but also aims to engage local plastic industries in finding a solution. Cathy explains: “We can’t do anything about the existing nurdle pollution but in future we can keep nurdles in their proper place by ensuring that they are not able to escape during manufacturing and production processes. There are around 30 companies that make, ship and use nurdles around the Forth and The Great Nurdle Hunt aims to engage positively with these companies in order to make the Firth of Forth the first zero pellet loss estuary in the UK – and then challenge the rest of Scotland to do the same.”
36 Feature The Scottish Seabird Centre warns of the need to protect our seabirds and the marine environment following an internationallyimportant finding.
Bone of ‘Scotland’s dodo’ unearthed
An internationally-important finding has been uncovered following an archaeological dig at the Scottish Seabird Centre.
range at one time extended from the north-eastern United States across the Atlantic to the British Isles, France and Northern Spain.
A 1,500-year-old bone from an extinct great auk has been recovered from outside the Seabird Centre during archaeological excavations. A great auk was last seen in Scotland on St Kilda in 1840 and the species is now globally extinct.
Because of its value for both food and as a source of oil, the great auk was hunted down relentlessly until it became the most eagerly wanted taxidermy specimen and its eggs prized collectors’ trophies. It is because of human predation that the great auk is now extinct.
The archaeological dig by Edinburgh-based Addyman Archaeology, and supported by Historic Scotland and the Seabird Centre, revealed bones of butchered seals, fish and seabirds, including the bone of the great auk. The upper arm bone (distal right humerus) of the flightless bird – often known as ‘Scotland’s dodo’ – was unearthed at the entrance area of an early building and has been radiocarbon dated to between the 5th and 7th centuries AD. The great auk was a penguinlike bird, around 1 metre tall and with stubby wings, whose
Tom Brock said: “We are a charity which campaigns for the protection and conservation of seabirds – we are dedicated to inspiring people to enjoy, conserve and learn about our amazing wildlife and the natural environment to ensure that they survive for future generations to appreciate and enjoy. “It is therefore both ironic and sad that a bone from a globally extinct seabird has been found on our site. This discovery is a very useful warning from the past to this, and future generations: we must look after our wonderful wildlife as a priority.”
Scottish Seabird Centre magazine
Tom Addyman of Addyman Archaeology said: “The discovery of the great auk bone is an illuminating find, as we seek to understand and document the importance of the area in the history of wildlife and human habitation in the Middle Ages. We hope that its discovery helps historians and conservation experts, such as the Scottish Seabird Centre, to educate future generations about the precious nature of our natural resources.” The important findings of the archaeological excavations have been documented in a new book, The Medieval Kirk, Cemetery and Hospice at Kirk Ness, North Berwick: the Scottish Seabird Centre Excavations (published by Oxbow Books and for sale in the Centre).
Tom Brock:
It is both ironic and sad that a bone from a globally extinct seabird has been found on our site.
38 Feature Established in 1936, the Scottish Ornithologists’ Club (SOC) is Scotland’s bird club with 15 local branches around the country.
Through a programme of evening talks, outings, conferences and other events, the Club brings together like-minded individuals with a passion for birds, nature and conservation.
The SOC is also a network of volunteers across Scotland, gathering vital information about our country’s wild birds; the data collected is made available to conservationists, planners and developers, and is used as one of the first points of reference in informed conservation planning. Waterston House is the Headquarters of the SOC and a must for any birdwatcher. The building is the perfect place to begin your birding trip to the area, or if new to birdwatching and looking to get started. Situated to the west of Aberlady village, just off the A198 scenic coastal road from Edinburgh, the building overlooks Aberlady Bay Local Nature Reserve, and is located within easy reach of some of Scotland’s best coastal birdwatching sites.
Entry to Waterston House is free and open to all, seven days a week (except over the festive period – check website for details). A recent sightings board, tide tables, tea / coffee making facilities and toilets are on hand. The building also houses the George Waterston Library, the largest ornithological library in Scotland, and the Donald Watson Art Gallery, one of the jewels in the Waterston House crown – a bright and exciting exhibition space, showing work by some of the country’s top wildlife artists. In addition to the art exhibitions, Waterston House runs a programme of events throughout the year, including Birdwatching for Beginners courses, artists’ talks and demonstrations, and Dawn Chorus, Goosewatch and Optics Demo events.
Autumn is one of the best times to visit Waterston House as it offers a front-row view of one of Scotland’s most spectacular wildlife events – the annual winter migration of geese from their northern breeding grounds in Iceland and the Arctic. Up to 30,000 Pink-footed geese can descend on the county to spend the winter, or to fuel-up before continuing south, using Aberlady Bay as their evening roosting site. However, whatever time of year you visit, birdwatchers and wildlife art enthusiasts are in for a treat! www.the-soc.org.uk www.facebook.com / ScotlandsBirdClub www.twitter.com / ScottishBirding
The SOC is a registered Scottish charity: SC009859 Lisa Hooper art exhibition now showing at Waterston House until 12 November 2014.
Scottish Seabird Centre magazine
Our friends at the Scottish Ornithologists’ Club
No place like home Note: With over three months left and hundreds of events still to take place – all that’s left now is to look at the diary and experience a few of the great events on your doorstep!
Scottish Seabird Centre magazine
41 Feature From star-gazing to sheepdog trials, MTV awards to magnificent horse head sculptures, John Muir to Jampionships – the Year of Homecoming has it all!
Hundreds of thousands of people from the UK and overseas have already embraced Scotland’s second year of Homecoming with record-breaking attendances recorded for many of the events within the first six months of 2014 including Celtic Connections, The John Muir Festival and Bannockburn Live.
However, the celebrations don’t stop just because the nights are getting darker. With over three months left and hundreds of events still to take place – all that’s left now is to look at the diary and experience a few of the great events on your doorstep! When it comes to autumn colours, Perthshire, known as Big Tree Country, offers the most glorious sights. Faskally Wood, by Pitlochry offers visitors and locals the opportunity to get back to nature with Autumn Watch (23 October) and The Enchanted Forest (3 to 26 October).
Staying in Perthshire, why not celebrate the tenth anniversary of Perthshire Amber – the Dougie MacLean Festival, taking place from 24 October to 2 November? From workshops to open mic sessions, concerts to talks – the ten-day festival will offer world-class music in over 25 venues ranging from the prestigious Perth Concert Hall and Dunkeld Cathedral to town halls and tiny village halls. Fancy a chance to get up close and personal to a number of iconic autumn species, such as red deer, red squirrels and red kites? The Dumfries and Galloway Wild Autumn Festival (11 October to 2 November) might just offer an opportunity to grab a glimpse of some of these much-loved animals. It is also a time when the region will be welcoming back thousands of migratory geese to the Solway. On 16 October 1939, the first WWII air attack over Britain took place above the Firth of Forth. To commemorate the occasion, Queensferry Tours are organising a series of events from 16 to 19 October including a historic walking tour taking visitors back to WWII on the Forth, an exhibition that tells the story of the raid and a charity concert featuring songs and music from WWII.
The Scottish International Storytelling Festival (24 October to 2 November) will offer visitors a feast of traditional and contemporary storytelling for adults and young people, as well as song and music. This is a must-visit festival for all storytelling lovers and everyone who wants to connect with Scotland! The two-month-long Highland Homecoming programme has a packed number of events still to take place throughout October, including Inverness Street Theatre Festival (16 to 18 October), the Dark Skye Party (25 October) which will offer an evening of star-gazing with the help of keen amateurs and professional astronomers; and Homecoming 2014 Textile Art (18 to 31 October). Fife celebrates the best of Scotland’s larder with chef demonstrations, tastings and workshops at the St Andrews Food and Drink Festival (22 November to 6 December). So whether your tastes run to seafood, game, Scotch lamb and beef, vegetables, beers, whisky, cheese, ice creams, scones or cakes – whatever you love to eat and drink, you’ll find it in glorious St Andrews this November! Homecoming is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate all that’s great about Scotland and place the spotlight on some of our greatest assets – why not make sure you are part of it! For more information visit www.homecomingscotland. com
Scottish Seabird Centre magazine
42 What’s on The dangers of life at sea are uncovered in our new exhibition.
Call of the Sea is a two-part living history exhibition and live event which explores the development of fishing in North Berwick and the history of the town’s harbour, highlighting the harsh and dangerous realities of life at sea and the vital need for long-term sustainability of our marine environment and wildlife.
The exhibition features images, artefacts and interpretative material which take visitors on a journey from the time of the great auk, through the trading and wartime harbour, up until the 21st century. It explores how the maritime industries have evolved as they have embraced more sustainable practices and highlights demand for further change in the future as the need to conserve and protect our marine environment becomes even greater.
Call of the Sea
The Seabird Centre has also engaged with local historians and residents who have added realism with historical stories about the harbour, including Len Groom, June DouglasHamilton, Simon Fairnie and Dave Berry. Caroline Vevers said: “On Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays there will also be the chance for visitors to meet Cap’n Salty Sea Dog, our ‘fisherman-in-residence’ who will share tales of the trials and tribulations of life at sea – from historic heroic tales to saving the seas with the ‘right catch’ by fishing responsibly.”
On Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays meet Cap’n Salty Sea Dog for stories and sea shanties.
Events and Exhibitions Officer, Caroline Vevers, has worked closely with East Lothian Council Museums Service, the RNLI and the Scottish Fisheries Museum in Anstruther to identify key items, including original fishing equipment such as cran baskets, 19th century life jackets and a whaling harpoon. © Addyman Archaeology and Alan Braby
Scottish Seabird Centre magazine
Scottish Seabird Centre magazine
44 What’s on There’s a lot taking place around the Centre over the coming months. Keep an eye on the website for further news and updates.
Call of the Sea To Sunday 16 November, Discovery Centre
A two-part living history exhibition and live event which explores the development of fishing in North Berwick and the history of the harbour, highlighting the harsh and dangerous reality of a life at sea and the vital need for long term sustainability for the future of our marine environment. Don’t miss the chance to meet Cap’n Salty Sea Dog. Pirate Weekend Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 October, 10:00–17:00, Discovery Centre
Ahoy, me Hearties! Shiver me timbers! Pirate Weekend is back... bigger and better than ever before! Don’t miss one of the highlights of our events calendar as the swashbuckling fun returns. With treasures to seek, games to play and a fancy dress competition, a swashbuckling good time is guaranteed! More details to follow!
Don’t miss! Pirate Weekend, 11 and 12 October
On the Rocks by John Busby To Tuesday 28 October, Picture Gallery
John Busby was the illustrator for Dr Bryan Nelson’s book On the Rocks. This tells the story of Bryan’s life and adventures among birds; seabirds in particular. Having been friends since their mid-teens, John and Bryan have been on several adventures together taking them across the world to places such as Aldabra in the Indian Ocean, Jordan and Petra. This exhibition features some of the stunning images from the book and highlights their adventures. Native Coastal Plants of the Firth of Forth & Islands Wednesday 29 October to Tuesday 18 November, Picture Gallery
Fran Thomas is an awardwinning artist who recently completed a Diploma in Botanical Illustration at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. With a background in biology she specialises in depicting native plants in a scientifically accurate style. All the plants, with their adaptions to a harsh coastal environment, can be found near North Berwick. Some can be seen on the live cameras at the Scottish Seabird Centre, where Fran works in the Discovery Centre. Landscapes, Lighthouses in Winter Wednesday 19 November to Tuesday 16 December, Picture Gallery
Rob Jim Lewis has been practicing photography and digital art for five years. He is inspired by the varied and everchanging local landscape of East Lothian, where he lives. He is also a talented reportage style photographer, favouring candid, in-the-moment shots, over formal ones. Scottish Seabird Centre magazine
Members’ Shopping Evening Thursday 20 November, 18:00
Shop till you drop at this special festive event for Seabird Centre members. Enjoy 15% off goods in our wonderful Gift Shop, including our fantastic new ranges of gifts for all the family. Sample and taste locally-produced goodies as you browse and get an advance preview of the exhibition of shortlisted images in this year’s Scottish Seabird Centre Nature Photography Awards before anyone else! Volunteers’ Christmas Coffee Morning Saturday 6 December, 10:00–12:00, Hope Rooms, Forth St, North Berwick, £2 entry
Our Volunteers are hosting a festive-themed coffee morning to raise funds for the charity. Everything for sale will be donated by the Volunteers and a wide range of gifts including toiletries, soft toys and books will be available. The raffle will also feature donations from the Volunteers including bottles of wine, chocolates and other gifts. There will be lots of home-baking and you will get a free cuppa and pancake with the £2 entry fee. Winter in East Lothian by Pam McKenzie Wednesday 17 December to Tuesday 3 February, Picture Gallery
Pam is a local artist painting mainly in acrylics but also in watercolour and pastels. She loves to capture the everchanging colours in sea and sky. She tells us that the East Lothian coastline provides plenty of inspiration with its sweeping bays and big skies together with the bird life and the various islands dotted around North Berwick.
46 Kids
Print on some extra paper for their flippers Decorate the fluffy baby seal – add some texture! You could use cotton wool or tissue
From October, you will be able to see seal pups on the interactive live cameras in the Discovery Centre. Here we show you how to make your very own seal family.
Make super duper seal finger puppets for a fishy video... Film them on a mobile and email them in for a prize. info@seabird.org
Make the basic finger puppet shape from folded paper Make the biggest one the daddy seal, middle-sized seal for the mummy and use your little finger for the baby seal
To make the face, cut a muzzle shape from folded paper. Don’t forget to make a larger / Roman nose for the daddy. Score and fold along the middle of the cheeks, to help make it 3D. Glue whiskers behind the cheeks with cut and curled paper. Eyebrows can be created in a similar way Draw and cut out eyes from paper – wrinkles will add expression!
Decorate the seals with a spotted pattern. You could Finally glue all the parts use sponges, pen tops, together and allow to dry. straws or toothbrushes to create this effect. Use V661-14-95-aw-03 23/09/2014 21:47 Page 1 different shades of grey
GLEN APPIN OF SCOTLAND
since 1903
Glen Appin of Scotland is a supplier of high quality textiles and Scottish gifts We supply the shop at the Scottish Seabird Centre with Harris Tweed bags and purses, paper napkins, pet products and a selection of other items from our large and varied range.
Meet Cap’n Salty Sea Dog for stories and sea shanties. All part of an interactive exhibition and events programme at the Scottish Seabird Centre. 4 October to 16 November
For further information please call
0141 445 0095 or visit www.glenappin.com
Image © Laura Adamson / Scottish Charity no SC025837
Scottish Seabird Centre magazine
47 Kids Did you see Professor Egghead over the summer holidays? Colour-in your own Egghead and take a picture and email to: marketing@seabird.org and the best ones will win a prize!
Scottish Seabird Centre magazine
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